Sound-box.



W. H. MILLER.

SOUND BOX.

APPLIUATION FILED APB. 2o, 1911.

Patented July 29, 1918.

//////// I s v far/wia ma,

UNLTED STATES PATENCE onirica.

WALTER H, MILLER, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIIGNOR TO THOMAS A'. EDISON, INCORPORATED, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

Application led April 20, 1911. Serial No. 622,397.

To all whom t may concern:

' Be it known that I, WALTER H. MILLER, a citizen of the 'United States, and a resi-A dent of Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound- Boxes, of which the following is a description. My invention relates to lsound boxes parl0 ticularly of the type adapted for use in connection with dislerecords having vertically undulating grooves, although its use is not limited to that type.

The principal object of my invention is to 'provide a sound box having means for regulatngthe tone or loudness of the reproduc-` tioii; and in conformity with this object I preferably make the arm or lever connecting' :the stylus to the diaphragm of a plurality ot sections provided with means for yield-` ingly limiting the relative movement be ltween the same, this means being adjustable or movable, to regulate the extent of move-l ment permitted betweenthe sectionsof the z5'arm. .ln my preferred construction, l

'mount a stop adjustably in one ofthe sectionsand Secure to this stop a plurality of y pieces-'of yielding' elastic materiaheach of the pieces beingT of a different elasticity from the others;l so that by tadjusting the stop, a

member of desired elasticity may be interposed betweenthe stop and the section oi thearm adapted to abut against the same. `During the reproduction, the arm moves 3-5` more or less as a unit, but the yielding ma 'ferial above referred to according to its elasticity permits a slight relative movement of the sections of the arm to retard or dampen to a desired degree the excessively loud vi- 40 brations and thereby modify thetone of the reproduction. 1 Other objects of my invention will appear more fully in the following specification and appended claims.

In order that my invention may bev more fully understood, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings forming a part'oi this specification and in which-d Figure 1 represents a vertical section Vtaken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of a sound box embodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same; Fig. `3 represents .a central vertical section of a sound box embodying a modification of my invention the Stylus erm being shownV in `side elevation and partly broken away; Fig.

4 represents a' bottom plan view Iof the stylus and stop employed in the modification 'shown in Fig. 3.

in all the views, like parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

The diaphragm support is of common construction and comprises an "annular member l provided with an inturned liange 2, an outwardly 'curved disk shaped member 3 extending within themember l; and an annular ring 4 threaded into the interior of thev member 1 in engagementwith the periphery of the outer surface of the member 3. The diaphragm 5 is preferably held atl its periphery between two gaskets 6 of rubber or other suitable material, these gaskets being clamped between the flange 2 and the periphery of the member 3 by the threaded ring 4.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and Q, the stylus arm or lever comprises an upper section 7 secured to the diaphragm substantially centrally thereof and a lower section 8. T he latter section is provided at its lower end with a socket 9 in which is ad justablv mounted a stylus l0, a setv screw 11 being threaded into the socket 9 and adapted to engage the stylus to secure the latter inadjusted position. Depending from the lower portion of the member l are a plurality 'of spaced parallel lugs or projections 12 provided with alined openings adapted to receive a pivot 13, the opening in the left hand lug being larger than that in the right hand lug and being screw threaded to cooperate with the `enlarged threaded portion 14 on the pivot. Atits extreme left handy end, the pivot is provided with a headed portion 15-which engages the outer surface of the lefthand lug 12. a slot 16 being` pro.-

vided in the said headed. portieri to facilitate adjustment of the pivot. The lower portion of the arm 7 is provided with a rearwardly extending projection 17 (see Fig. 1) pro vided at its end with a hub-like portion v18 pivotally mounted on the member 13 'between and in engagement with the parallel ears/'jor lugs 19 at the upper end ofthe section 8. These last named ears or lugs vare likewise mounted on the pivot 13 and extend in close pioximityto the inside faces Y -of the lugs 12, being held against movement longitudinally ot the pivot by these last namectlugs.V With this construction the l l arm during the reproduction, the section 7 isprovided at its lower end with a forwardly extending forked portionv 2O within which is rotatably mounted a stop 21 having a plurality of fiat faces to whichl are respectively secured pieces or strips 22, 23 and 24 of yielding elastic material. In -order to -permit rotation of the member 21 from the knurledhead 25 secured to the end ofthe pivot 26 which supports the member 21, the.

said Apivot is preferably made angular between its ends as shown in Fig. 1 and cylindrical at its ends where it engages in the fork 20,'the central portion of the pivot inmaterial.

terfitting Closely with the member 21. In thedrawing I have `shown the member 21 as provided with three fiat faces for supporting the yieldingelastic material, but obviously I may provide the'said member with any desired number of faces for this pur-l pose. By rotating the knurled'head 25 any desired one of the pieces 22, 23 and 24 may be brought into engagement with the upper` horizontal surface of the socket 9. During the reproduction of a record, the stylus arm normally moves as a unit, the vibrations being transmitted through the strip of yielding material to the upper section of the stylus arm and thence to the diaphragm; but by reason of the interposition of the yielding elastic strips or pieces between the sections of the said arm, the loud vibrations are'partiallv retarded or dampened by .the said strip, the extent of such dampening depending upon the elasticityof' the yielding I have found 'that'corln rubber and feltare suitable materials for the yielding elastic pieces-22, 23 and 24.v

In the modification shown inl Fig. 3, the upper section 27 of the stylus arm isl secured to the diaphragm substantially at the center thereof and is mounted on a pivot 28 supported by spaced downturned lugs29 in a manner similar to that described above for the form of my invention shown inFigs. l.

- 1s rotatably L ;eured a rod or spindle 35 provide-d at upper' end with a knurled head 36 engaging the upper vsurface of the portion 3G. Sir ndlehas Secured thereextending' 1,ocs,441

to at its lower end by fiiction or in any .A

`suitable means is secured to the portion 30 Vof the section 27 and engages Vthe stylussupport 32 to yieldingly hold-.the stylus in engagement with the strip of yielding mate` rial adjacent the same. As-in the operation of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stylus armA in the modified structure described above normally vibrates as a unit. during the reproduction of theV record, the vibrations except so far as they are dam- .pened by the elastic; yielding material being transmitted through the said yielding matearm and thence to the diaphragm. By rotation of the knurled head 36 any oneof the pieces of yielding material may be brought into operative position so that the tone or loudness of the reproduction may be varied at will.

While I have shown certain preferred embodimcnts 1n my inventlon, numerous vcombination of vibratory means, means supporting the same, a stylus, and means for transmitting the vibrations of Said stylusv to saidA vibratory means, 'said vibration transmitting means comprising a plurality of elastic means arranged to be selectively placed in operative position tomodifyV the vibrations transmitted from the stylus to the vibratory means, said elastic means being adapted to modify said vibrations todifferent extents, substantially as described.

2. In a'sound box, the combination of vibratory means, means supporting the same, a stylus, and means for transmitting the vibrations of said stylus to said vibratory means, said vibration transmitting means comprising a plurality of elastic means'of different elasticities arranged to beuselectively placed inoperative-positionto modify the vibrations transmitted fromthe stylus to the vibratory means, substantially. as described.

3. In a sound box, the combination of vibatory means, means for supporting the Smeffaty-lus arm connected With said vi- Arial to the upper section 27 of the stylus fio one of saidelastic means in contact with the adjacent section of said arm, substantially as described.

4. In a sound box, the combination of vi-l bratory means, means for supporting the j same, a stylus arm connected with said vibratory means and having a plurality of pivotally connectedsections, and a stop mounted on one of said sections an'd provided with la plurality of elastic means, each of different elasticity from the others, said stop being adjustable to pla'ee any desired one of said elastic means in contact with the adjacent section of said arm, substantially as described.

' 5. In a sound box, the combination of vibratory means, means for supporting the same, a stylus arm connected with said vibratory means and having a plurality of movably connected sections, a stopmounted on one of said sections and provided with a plurality of elastic means each of diferent elasticity from the others, and means for adjusting said stop to place any desired one of said elastic means in contact with the adjacent section of said arm, substantially as described.

6. In a sound box, the combination of vibratory means, means for supporting the same, and a stylus arm connected with said vibratory means, and having a plurality of movably connected sections provided with means for limiting the relative movement between the same, the said means comprising an adjustable member carrying a plurality of ieces of elastic yieldin material each of different elasticity fromt e others, anyone of said pieces being adapted to be placed in contact with the adjacent'section of the arm, substantially as described.

7. In a sound box, the combination of lvibratory means, means for sup orting the same, and a stylus arm connec with said vibratory means, and having a plurality of movably connected sections provided with means for limiting the relative movement' between the same, the said means comprising a rotatable member carrying a plurality o ,pieces of elastic yielding material each iierent elasticity from the others, any one of said pieces being adapted to be placed in contact with the adjacent section of the arm. substantially as described.

8. A stylus arm having a plurality of movablyf connected sections provided with Ameansfor limiting the relative movement between the same, said means comprising a member carrying a plurality of elastic means, each of different elasticity from the others, said member being adjustable to place any desired one of said elastic means 1n contact with the adjacent section of said arm, substantially as described.

9. A stylus arm having a plurality of pivotally connected sections provided with means for limiting the relative movement between the same, the said means comprising an adjustable member carrying a plurality of pieces of elastic material each of dit'- ferent elasticity7 from the others, and means for adjusting the said member to place any desired one of said pieces of elastic material in contact-with the adjacent section of the arm, substantially as described.

10. In a sound box, the combination of vibratory means, means supporting the same, a stylus arm` connected with said vibratory means aid arranged to oscillate about aA given axis, said lstylus arm comprisin sections ivotally movable relatively to eac other a out sald axis, one of said sections being provided with a stop, and elastic means interposed between said stop and a second section of said arm, substantially as described.

11. In a sound box, the 'combination of vibratory means, means supporting the same. a stylus arm connectedwith said vibratory means and arranged to oscillate about -a given axis, said arm comprising sections plvota'lly movable relatively to each other about said axis and one of said sections being provided with a stop yieldingly coacting with another section of said arm to limit 'the relative movement of said sections, substantially as described 12. In a sound box, the combination of vibratory means, means sup orting the same, a stylus arm connecte with said vibratory means and arranged to oscillate about a given axis, said arm comprising sections pivotall movable relatively to each other about sai axis and one of said Asections bein provided with "a stop coacting with anot er tion of said arm to limit the relative mov ent of said sections, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 18th day of April, 191-1.

WALTER H. MILLER.

00pm of this patent my be obtained for ave cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Wllhington, D. C. 

